Reclusive Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is widely labeled as "The Most Powerful Gay Man on Earth" despite not having publicly come out as gay, issued a rare political statement on Sunday. Writing in an editorial for the Washington Post that was published on Sunday, Cook presses the U.S. Senate to approve the LGBT-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) about to come up for a vote.

“Apple's antidiscrimination policy goes beyond the legal protections U.S. workers currently enjoy under federal law, most notably because we prohibit discrimination against Apple's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees,” wrote Cook. "A bill now before the U.S. Senate would update those employment laws, at long last, to protect workers against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

"Those who have suffered discrimination have paid the greatest price for this lack of legal protection," he added. "But ultimately we all pay a price. If our coworkers cannot be themselves in the workplace, they certainly cannot be their best selves. When that happens, we undermine people’s potential and deny ourselves and our society the full benefits of those individuals’ talents.”

"As we see it, embracing people's individuality is a matter of basic human dignity and civil rights," Cook wrote. "It also turns out to be great for the creativity that drives our business. We've found that when people feel valued for who they are, they have the comfort and confidence to do the best work of their lives."